Nepal PM: We will not allow our territory to be used against India

Kathmandu, May 12: Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday assured that he would not allow Nepal’s territory to be used against anti-India activities in future. Assuring visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that Nepal was sensitive to India’s interests.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefing reporters described Prime Minister’s Oli’s statement as ‘Significant’ and added that India was satisfied with the discussions.

“Oli reiterated that Nepal would be sensitive to India's interests and its territory would not be used against India,” PTI quoted Gokhale as saying.

Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 kms in the east, south and west with five Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

There has been a long tradition of free movement of people across the borders sharing family ties and culture. Travellers from both sides do not need visas.

During a joint press meet on Thursday after a one-on-one meeting with Oli, Modi had said the open borders between India and Nepal play an important role in the strong bilateral relations.

“We will not allow its misuse by anti-social elements,” Modi said after the marathon delegation-level talks during which the two sides had extensive discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relationship.

“We have agreed to further strengthen our joint efforts on defence and security to control cross-border crimes that have been taking place by misusing our open-borders that are quite important for people on both the sides,” he said.

Indo-Nepal border is open, porous and thickly populated. The movement of people across the border is governed by Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship 1950, which provides for free movement of citizens of both the countries across the border.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari said high-level visits strengthen people-to-people contact.

Gokhale said Nepali leaders who called on Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that his visit to cultural places like Janakpur and Muktinath would enhance tourism.

He also said that the two sides have agreed to an informal timeline to discuss all matters by September this year.

The two leaders also discussed the implementation of various India assisted projects in Nepal and decided to bridge the implementation gap in some of the projects, the foreign secretary said.

“Two visits in two months of two state leaders sets our bilateral relationship on a very positive and forward looking path,” Gokhale said.